Control apparatus, control system, and control program

ABSTRACT

A control apparatus that access first cameras capturing a first subject of a first area, and second cameras capturing a second subject of a second area, detects a viewing direction of a spectator group in the first subject on the basis of image data of the first subject captured by any one of first cameras, identifies a focus area in the second area that is focused on by the spectator group on the basis of the viewing direction of the spectator group, identifies a focus subject, focused on by the spectator group, that is present in the focus area on the basis of image data of the second subject captured by each of the second cameras, determines a specific second camera to be a transmission source of image data from among the second cameras on the basis of the focus subject, and transmits image data from the specific second camera.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/756,882 filed Jul. 20, 2020, which in turn is a U.S. national stageapplication of PCT/JP2018/038651 filed Oct. 17, 2018, which claims thebenefit of Japanese patent application JP 2017-201190 filed on Oct. 17,2017, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into thisapplication.

BACKGROUND

The present invention pertains to a control apparatus, a control system,and a control program.

JP 2008-5208 A discloses a camera automatic control system, a cameraautomatic control method, a camera automatic control apparatus, and aprogram used in imaging sporting events and the like. However, in JP2008-5208 A, sporting event imaging cameras are switched according to aswitching instruction from an operator. In other words, switching ofcameras for television broadcasting continues to be performed accordingto instructions from a responsible person referred to as a director, andthus, the document does not consider automation of switching.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the disclosure of a control apparatus in this applicationis configured to be accessible a plurality of first cameras that capturea first subject of a first area in a facility, and a plurality of secondcameras that capture a second subject of a second area in the facility,the control apparatus comprising: a detection unit configured to detecta viewing direction of a spectator group in the first subject on thebasis of image data of the first subject captured by any one of theplurality of first cameras;

an identification unit configured to identify a focus area in the secondarea that is focused on by the spectator group on the basis of theviewing direction of the spectator group detected by the detection unit,and identify a focus subject, focused on by the spectator group, that ispresent in the focus area on the basis of image data of the secondsubject captured by each of the plurality of second cameras; adetermination unit configured to determine a specific second camera tobe a transmission source of image data from among the plurality ofsecond cameras on the basis of the focus subject identified by theidentification unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmitimage data from the specific second camera determined by thedetermination unit.

Another aspect of the disclosure of a control apparatus in thisapplication is a control apparatus configured to be accessible a firstcamera that captures a first subject of a first area in a facility, anda second camera that captures a second subject of a second area in thefacility, the control apparatus comprising: a detection unit configuredto detect a viewing direction of a spectator group in the first subjecton the basis of image data of the first subject captured by the firstcamera; an identification unit configured to identify a focus area inthe second area that is focused on by the spectator group on the basisof the viewing direction of the spectator group detected by thedetection unit; and a control unit configured to control imagingperformed by the second camera on the basis of identification results bythe identification unit.

An aspect of the disclosure of a control system in this applicationcomprises: a plurality of first cameras that capture a first subject ofa first area in a facility; a plurality of second cameras that capture asecond subject of a second area in the facility; and a control apparatusconfigured to be accessible the plurality of first cameras and theplurality of second cameras, wherein the control apparatus includes: adetection unit configured to detect a viewing direction of a spectatorgroup in the first subject on the basis of image data of the firstsubject captured by any one of the plurality of first cameras; anidentification unit configured to identify a focus area in the secondarea that is focused on by the spectator group on the basis of theviewing direction of the spectator group detected by the detection unit,and identify a focus subject, focused on by the spectator group, that ispresent in the focus area on the basis of image data of the secondsubject captured by each of the plurality of second cameras; adetermination unit configured to determine a specific second camera tobe a transmission source of image data from among the plurality ofsecond cameras on the basis of the focus subject identified by theidentification unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmitimage data from the specific second camera determined by thedetermination unit.

An aspect of the disclosure of a control program in this applicationcauses a processor configured to be accessible a plurality of firstcameras that capture a first subject of a first area in a facility, anda plurality of second cameras that capture a second subject of a secondarea in the facility, to execute: a detection process of detecting aviewing direction of a spectator group in the first subject on the basisof image data of the first subject captured by any one of the pluralityof first cameras; an identification process of identifying a focus areain the second area that is focused on by the spectator group on thebasis of the viewing direction of the spectator group detected by thedetection process, and identifying a focus subject, focused on by thespectator group, that is present in the focus area on the basis of imagedata of the second subject captured by each of the plurality of secondcameras; a determination process of determining a specific second camerato be a transmission source of image data from among the plurality ofsecond cameras on the basis of the focus subject identified by theidentification process; and a transmission process of transmitting imagedata from the specific second camera determined by the determinationprocess.

Another aspect of the disclosure of a control program in thisapplication causes a processor configured to be accessible a firstcamera that captures a first subject of a first area in a facility, anda second camera that captures a second subject of a second area in thefacility, to execute: a detection process of detecting a viewingdirection of a spectator group in the first subject on the basis ofimage data of the first subject captured by the first camera; anidentification process of identifying a focus area in the second areathat is focused on by the spectator group on the basis of the viewingdirection of the spectator group detected by the detection process; anda control process of controlling imaging performed by the second cameraon the basis of identification results by the identification process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a descriptive view showing a configuration example of acontrol system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration ex ampleof the control apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example ofthe control apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a descriptive view showing an example of spectator groupsimaged by the spectator cameras.

FIG. 5 is a descriptive view showing a sensitivity example 1 regardingdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectator.

FIG. 6 is a descriptive view showing a sensitivity example 2 regardingdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectator.

FIG. 7 is a descriptive view showing a sensitivity example 3 regardingdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectator.

FIG. 8 is a descriptive view showing a detection example of the viewingdirection of the spectator group.

FIG. 9 is a descriptive view showing a detection example of a motionvector my resulting from a change in position of the ears.

FIG. 10 is a descriptive view showing a detection example of the viewingdirection of a specific spectator.

FIG. 11 is a descriptive view showing an identification example 1 foridentification of the focus area and the focus subject by theidentification unit.

FIG. 12 is a descriptive view showing an identification example 2 foridentification of the focus area and the focus subject by theidentification unit.

FIG. 13 is a descriptive view showing a calculation example for the areaof the focus area.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of control process steps bythe control apparatus.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 1 of thefirst spectator camera selection process (step S1401), shown in FIG. 14, performed by the selection unit.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 2 of thefirst spectator camera selection process (step S1401), shown in FIG. 14, performed by the selection unit.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 1 of thesecond spectator camera selection process (step S1504) shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 18 is a descriptive view showing a detailed processing example 2 ofthe second spectator camera selection process (step S1504) shown in FIG.15 .

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 2 of thesecond spectator camera selection process (step S1504) shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing an example of detailed process steps ofthe identification process (step S1403) shown in FIG. 14 .

FIG. 21 is a descriptive view of the automatic shutter function of thefield cameras FC.

FIG. 22 is a descriptive view showing an example of application tomarketing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

<Configuration Example of Control System>

FIG. 1 is a descriptive view showing a configuration example of acontrol system. A control system 1 of the present embodiment is a systemthat automatically switches between scenes of image data broadcasted ontelevision or over the internet according to the line of sight ofspectators. This control system 1 is a system installed in a facility,for example. The facility is a building or location where the spectatorsview the focus subject, and includes stadiums, arenas, event halls,gymnasiums, athletic grounds, sports grounds, pools, theaters, and themeparks, for example. In the present embodiment, a soccer stadium 100 isgiven as an example.

The facility has a first area where spectators are present and a secondarea where the focus subjects are present. In the case of a soccerstadium 100, the first area is a seating section 101 and the second areais a field 102. The focus subject is a person or object to be viewed bythe spectators, and in the case of soccer, for example, where the focussubjects refer to people, the focus subjects are the players, thecoaches, and the referees, and where the focus subject refers to anobject, the focus subject is the ball.

A control system 1 has a plurality of spectator cameras AC, a pluralityof field cameras FC, a control apparatus 110, and a database. Thespectator cameras AC are cameras that shoot video of the seating section101, which is the first area. The field cameras FC are cameras thatshoot video of the field 102 of the stadium 100. The field camera FC mayautomatically track the subjects or may be operated by the videographer.

Image data from the spectator cameras AC and the field cameras FC istransmitted to the control apparatus 110. The image data from the fieldcameras FC is distributed to general household televisions 103 via abroadcast tower, or to personal computers 104 (including smartphones andtablets) via the internet.

A control apparatus 110 is a computer that can communicate with theplurality of spectator cameras AC, the plurality of field cameras FC,and a database 120. The database 120 stores, as design informationpertaining to the facility, seating section information 121, fieldinformation 122, spectator camera information 123, and field camerainformation 124. Also, the database 120 stores player information 125and distinct person information 126. The database 120 may be providedoutside of the control system 1 as long as it can be accessed from thecontrol apparatus 110.

The seating section information 121 is information indicating3-dimensional positions of seats in the seating section 101 in thefacility according to a local coordinate system 10 including an X axis,a Y axis, and a Z axis, which are orthogonal to each other. The planeformed by the X axis and the Y axis is a plane parallel to the field102, and the Z axis indicates the height from the field 102.

The field information 122 is information indicating 3-dimensionalpositions on the field 102 in the facility. The spectator camerainformation 123 is information indicating 3-dimensional positions andimaging conditions of the spectator cameras AC in the facility. Imagingconditions include the imaging direction, the angle of view, and themagnification, for example. The field camera information 124 isinformation indicating 3-dimensional positions and imaging conditions ofthe field cameras FC in the facility.

The player information 125 is information indicating the team to whichthe player belongs, the color and pattern of the uniform, and the jerseynumber. Facial image data of the player may also be included. Thedistinct person information 126 is information indicating a distinctperson, and specifically includes facial image data of the person andimage data of the apparel worn by the person, for example.

Here, the operations of the control system 1 will be described.

(1-1) The field cameras FC image the players and the ball on the field102 and acquire image data.

(1-2) The spectator cameras AC image the spectator group in the seatingsection 101 and acquire image data.

(2-1) The field cameras FC transmit the acquired image data to thecontrol apparatus 110.

(2-2) The spectator cameras AC transmit the acquired image data to thecontrol apparatus 110.

(3) The control apparatus 110 uses the acquired image data to identifythe area (hereinafter, “focus area”) of the field 102 being focused onby the spectator group, and identifies the focus subject (players and/orball) present in the focus area with reference to the database 120.

(4) The control apparatus 110 determines the field camera FC, from amongthe plurality of field cameras FC, with which to image the identifiedfocus subject. The control apparatus 110 specifically determines theoptimal field camera FC to which to switch according to whether thepositional relationship and distance between the focus area and thefield camera FC and the continuous broadcast time of a single fieldcamera FC exceed thresholds, and whether the face of the player can berecognized.

As a result, image data from the determined field camera FC isbroadcasted or distributed to the television 103 or the personalcomputer 104. Thus, switching of the field cameras FC can be automated(real time control).

<Hardware Configuration Example of Monitoring Apparatus>

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration ex ampleof the control apparatus 110. The control apparatus 110 includes aprocessor 201, a storage device 202, an input device 203, an outputdevice 204, and a communication interface (communication IF) 205. Theprocessor 201, the storage device 202, the input device 203, the outputdevice 204, and the communication IF 205 are connected to one another bya bus 206.

The processor 201 controls the control apparatus 110. The storage device202 serves as a work area of the processor 201. The storage device 202is a recording medium which stores various programs and da ta. Thestorage device 202 can be, for example, a read-only memory (RO M), arandom-access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a flash memory.

The input device 203 inputs data. The input device 203 can be, forexample, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a ten-key pad, or a scanner. The output device 204 outputs data. The output device 204 canbe, for example, a display or a printer.

The communication I/F 205 receives the image data from the spectatorcamera group ACs and the field camera group FCs. Also, the communicationI/F 205 is connected to the internet 200 and a broadcast tower 210, andimage data received from a spectator camera group ACs and a field cameragroup FCs is transmitted to the personal computer 104 and the television103.

<Functional Configuration Example of Control Apparatus 110>

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration example ofthe control apparatus 110. The control apparatus 110 has a detectionunit 301, an identification unit 302, a determination unit 303, atransmission unit 304, and a selection unit 305. The above consecutivecomponents from the detection unit 301 to the selection unit 305specifically are functions realized by a processor 201 executingprograms stored in a storage device 202 shown in FIG. 2 , for example.

The detection unit 301 detects the viewing direction of the spectatorgroup in a first subject on the basis of image data of the first subjectcaptured by any of the spectator cameras AC in the spectator cameragroup ACs. The viewing direction of the spectator group is a directionindicating a resultant vector of the viewing directions of individualspectators within the spectator group.

That is, if the scalar value of the resultant vector is greater than orequal to a predetermined value, this indicates that a large portion ofthe spectator group is looking at the field 102 in the direction of theresultant vector. Detection of the eye region is one method fordetecting the viewing direction of individual spectators. The detectionunit 301 detects the viewing direction by detecting the position of theirises in the eye region in the image data where the spectators appear.Alternatively, the detection unit 301 may detect the viewing directionof the spectators according to the direction of the faces of thespectators.

The identification unit 302 identifies the focus area in the second areaby the spectator group on the basis of the viewing direction of thespectator group detected by the detection unit 301. Specifically, forexample, the identification unit 302 identifies a focus area in thefield 102 at the end of the viewing direction of the spectator groupaccording to the seating section information 121 and the fieldinformation 122 in the database 120. In other words, an area in thefield 102 at the end of the viewing direction starting at the positionof the seating section 101 of the spectator group is the focus area. Thefocus area is an area encompassing points where the extension lines ofthe viewing directions intersect with the field 102.

Also, the identification unit 302 identifies the focus subject of thespectator group present within the focus area on the basis of image dataof the second subject captured by each of the field cameras FC in thefield camera group FCs. Specifically, for example, the identificationunit 302 identifies the focus subject in the focus area captured by thefield cameras FC from image data from the field cameras FC.

If the spectator camera AC is a so-called omnidirectional camera, thenthe spectator camera AC images the seating section 101 and the field 102on the opposite side to the spectator camera 101. Thus, the controlapparatus 110 uses the image data from the spectator cameras AC todirectly identify the focus subject present on the extension line of theviewing direction of the spectator group. As a result, there is no needto use image data from the field cameras FC to identify the focussubject, and it is possible to improve identification accuracy for focussubject and improve processing speed.

The determination unit 303 determines a specific field camera FC to bethe transmission source of image data from among the field camera groupFCs on the basis of the focus subject identified by the identificationunit 302. Specifically, for example, the determination unit 303determines the optimal field camera FC to which to switch according towhether the positional relationship and distance between the focus areaand the field camera FC and the continuous broadcast time of a singlefield camera FC exceed thresholds, and whether the face of the playercan be recognized.

As a result, image data from the determined field camera FC isbroadcasted or distributed to the television 103 or the personalcomputer 104. Thus, switching of the field cameras FC can be automated.

The transmission unit 304 transmits image data from a specific fieldcamera FC determined by the determination unit 303. Specifically, forexample, the transmission unit 304 uses the communication I/F totransmit image data from the specific field camera FC to generalhousehold televisions 103 via a broadcast tower 210, or to personalcomputers 104 (including smartphones and tablets) via the internet 200.

The selection unit 305 selects a specific spectator camera AC from amongthe spectator camera group ACs prior to detecting the viewing direction.Specifically, for example, the selection unit 305 selects a specificspectator camera AC from among a plurality of spectator cameras AC onthe basis of a score indicating the number of people in the spectatorgroup in the first subject captured by each of the plurality ofspectator cameras AC. The score indicates the number of people in thespectator group, and specifically indicates the proportion of the areain one frame of the image data taken up by image data of the spectators,or in other words, the density. The greater the score is, the greaterthe number of spectators is.

The selection of the spectator camera AC by the selection unit 305 isfor the purpose of detecting the viewing direction of a large number ofspectators by the detection unit 301. Thus, imaging conditions of thespectator cameras AC are set such that a predetermined number of seatsor greater within the seating section 101 fall within the angle of viewof the spectator camera AC as the first subject. The detection unit 301detects the viewing direction of the spectator group in the firstsubject on the basis of image data of the first subject captured by thespectator camera AC selected by the selection unit 305.

Also, the selection unit 305 selects a specific spectator camera AC onthe basis of the positional relationship between the spectator group andthe focus area. Specifically, for example, the selection unit 305selects, as the specific spectator camera AC, a spectator camera AC,which images the spectator group, that is the closest to the focus areaamong the plurality of spectator cameras AC. Details regarding theselection will be mentioned later with reference to FIG. 4-6 .

Also, the selection unit 305 selects, as the specific spectator cameraAC, a spectator camera AC for which the score is greater than or equalto a predetermined threshold. The higher the score of the spectatorcamera AC is, the more spectators are captured by the spectator cameraAC, and thus, such a spectator camera AC is suited to detecting theviewing direction of the spectator group. Therefore, the selection unit305 should select the spectator camera AC with a high absolute scoreamong the plurality of spectator cameras AC, or in other words, thespectator camera AC with a score greater than or equal to the threshold.

If there are a plurality of spectator cameras AC having a score greaterthan or equal to the predetermined threshold, the selection unit 305 mayselect the spectator camera AC with the highest score. Also, thespectator camera AC to be selected may be limited to one that satisfiesconditions of the specific spectator camera AC according to theabove-mentioned positional relationship between the seating section 101and the focus area.

Also, the selection unit 305 selects, as the specific spectator cameraAC, a spectator camera AC with a relatively high score among theplurality of spectator cameras AC. The higher the score of the spectatorcamera AC is, the more spectators are captured by the spectator cameraAC, and thus, such a spectator camera AC is suited to detecting theviewing direction of the spectator group. Thus, the selection unit 305should select the spectator camera AC with a high relative score amongthe plurality of spectator cameras AC.

If there are a plurality of spectator cameras AC having a relativelyhigh score, the selection unit 305 may select the spectator camera ACwith the highest score. Also, the spectator camera AC to be selected maybe limited to one that satisfies conditions of the specific spectatorcamera AC according to the above-mentioned positional relationshipbetween the seating section 101 and the focus area.

Alternatively, the selection unit 305 may select, as the specificspectator camera AC, a spectator camera AC for which the score is lessthan the predetermined threshold. The higher the score of the spectatorcamera AC is, the more spectators are captured by the spectator cameraAC, and thus, such a spectator camera AC is suited to detecting theviewing direction of the spectator group. However, if there are noscores greater than or equal to the threshold, a spectator camera ACwith a score less than the threshold is used. If there are a pluralityof spectator cameras AC having a score less than the predeterminedthreshold, the selection unit 305 may select the spectator camera ACwith the highest score.

Also, the spectator camera AC to be selected may be limited to one thatsatisfies conditions of the specific spectator camera AC according tothe above-mentioned positional relationship between the seating section101 and the focus area. Alternatively, the selection unit 305 may beconfigured so as to typically select a spectator camera AC with a scorethat is greater than or equal to the threshold and randomly orperiodically select a spectator camera AC for which the score is lessthan the threshold. As a result, it is possible to take intoconsideration the viewing direction of a minority of spectators andswitch the field camera FC to a scene that might be missed by themajority of spectators, for example.

Also, the selection unit 305 selects, as the specific spectator cameraAC, a spectator camera AC with a relatively low score among theplurality of spectator cameras AC. If there are a plurality of spectatorcameras AC having a relatively low score, the selection unit 305 mayselect the spectator camera AC with the lowest score. Also, thespectator camera AC to be selected may be limited to one that satisfiesconditions of the specific spectator camera AC according to theabove-mentioned positional relationship between the seating section 101and the focus area.

Alternatively, the selection unit 305 may be configured so as totypically select a spectator camera AC with a score that is not thelowest score and randomly or periodically select a spectator camera ACwith a relative low score. As a result, it is possible to take intoconsideration the viewing direction of a minority of spectators andswitch the field camera FC to a scene that might be missed by themajority of spectators, for example.

Also, if a spectator camera AC with a score that is less than thethreshold or that is relatively low is selected as the specificspectator camera AC, the detection unit 301 may detect the viewingdirection of a specific spectator as opposed to the viewing direction ofthe spectator group captured by the specific spectator camera AC. If thescore is less than the threshold or relatively low, then there are fewspectators, and thus, the viewing direction of the spectator group issometimes not the direction that the spectator group as a whole wishesto view. Thus, in such a case, the detection unit 301 narrows down thespectator group by eliminating noise.

In this case, noise includes spectators who are engaging in inattentivebehavior such as spectators who are using their smartphones or eating(in either case, looking down), or are looking in the direction of anelectronic billboard. The detection unit 301 eliminates spectators withsuch viewing directions, and detects the viewing direction of specificspectators from among the remaining the spectator group. Also, thedetection unit 301 may select a distinct person as the specificspectator and detect their viewing direction with reference to thedatabase 120.

Also, if a spectator camera AC with a score that is less than thethreshold or that is relatively low is selected as the specificspectator camera AC, the detection unit 301 may detect the viewingdirection of a specific spectator on the basis of the imaging directionof the specific field camera FC determined by the determination unit 303and the viewing direction of each individual among a specific spectatorgroup.

Image data from the specific field camera FC is viewed by viewers of thetelevision 103, and thus, the imaging direction of the specific fieldcamera FC is the viewing direction of the viewer of the television 103.Therefore, the detection unit 301 may detect the viewing direction ofeach spectator among the spectator group positioned in the oppositedirection to the imaging direction and detect the viewing direction froma specific spectator within the spectator group.

The viewing direction of the specific spectator in this case may be adirection that is the same as the imaging direction or similar theretowithin an allowable range. As a result, it is possible to providefootage to be viewed by both viewers of the television 103 andspectators. The viewing direction of the specific spectator may be adirection that outside of the allowable range from the imagingdirection. As a result, it is possible to switch the field camera FC toa focus subject that cannot be viewed by a viewer of the television 103.

Also, the control apparatus 110 may switch to a field camera FC, amongthe field camera group FCs, that captures image data most similar topast broadcast data. In this case, the control apparatus 110 detects avector tying the spectator camera AC to the subject as the viewingdirection of the spectators. It is possible to improve detectionaccuracy on the basis of the detection of this viewing direction.

Also, the transmission unit 304 may transmit still image data capturedby the field camera FC to a communication terminal 300 (such as asmartphone) of at least one spectator A among the spectator group thatis the source of the switching of the field camera FC. In this case, thecontrol apparatus 110 stores, in the database, address information(electronic mail address, for example) of the communication terminal 300of the spectator. The still image data may be data captured as a stillimage by the field camera FC or may be data extracted from the imagedata.

Alternatively, the transmission unit 304 may transmit to thecommunication terminal 300 not the still image data itself but accessinformation (such as a URL) indicating the location where the stillimage data is stored. A decisive scene may occur immediately afterswitching field cameras FC, and thus, it is possible to provide stillimage data or access information for the time when the scene occurred toany spectators who are likely to have seen the scene. In particular,when such scenes occur, the spectators would be paying attention to thefocus subject without photographing it, and thus, according to the aboveconfiguration, it is possible to acquire still image data of the focussubject that the spectators are viewing even if the spectators are notable to capture the still image data.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the controlapparatus 110 switches between the plurality of field cameras FC, butthe control apparatus 110 may instead identify a focus area R usingimage data of one or more spectator cameras AC or identify a focussubject in the focus area R, and control one field camera FC. Thecontrol unit that controls the field camera FC performs control suchthat the field camera FC faces the direction of the identified focusarea R or the direction of the focus subject in the identified focusarea R, for example.

<Spectator Group Imaged by Spectator Cameras AC>

FIG. 4 is a descriptive view showing an example of spectator groupsimaged by the spectator cameras AC. In FIG. 4 , the spectator camerasAC1 and AC2 have the same imaging conditions. The spectator camera AC1images a spectator group 401 in the seating section 101, and thespectator camera AC2 images a spectator group 402 in the seating section101. The number of people in the spectator groups 401 and 402 isidentified by calculating the score in the above-mentioned selectionunit 305.

In the example of FIG. 4 , the score of the spectator group 401 is ascore that is greater than or equal to the threshold or is relativelyhigh, and the detection unit 301 detects, as the viewing direction ofthe spectator group 401, the resultant vector of the viewing directionvectors of the respective spectators in the spectator group 401. Thescore of the spectator group 402 is a score that is less than thethreshold or is relatively low, and the detection unit 301 detects theviewing direction of a specific spectator in the spectator group 402.

<Positional Relationship between Spectators and Players>

Next, the positional relationship between the spectators and the playerswill be described. The seating section 101 is located around the field102. When the spectators visually track the focus subject (players andball) on the field 102, the control apparatus 110 has trouble trackingdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectators and movementin the far side from the spectators, while being able to easily trackmovement in the left-right direction, which is perpendicular to theviewing direction, and movement on the close side towards thespectators. The ease with which the viewing direction can be tracked isreferred to as sensitivity. Thus, the sensitivity for tracking ofdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectators and movementin the far side from the spectators is low, while the sensitivity fortracking of movement in the left-right direction perpendicular to theviewing direction and movement on the close side towards the spectatorsis high.

Regarding FIGS. 5 to 7 , descriptions will be made with one givenspectator as an example, but the descriptions also similarly apply tospectator groups, which are gatherings of a plurality of spectators.

FIG. 5 is a descriptive view showing a sensitivity example 1 regardingdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectator. Among theseating sections 101A to 101D surrounding the field 102, a spectator500A is located in the seating section 101A and a spectator 500B islocated in the seating section 101B. The seating section 101A is locatedopposite the seating section 101B.

Also, in the field 102, areas in which a player P moves in the Xdirection are areas 102A and 102B. The area 102A is an area closer tothe seating section 101A than to the seating section 101B, and the area102B is an area closer to the seating section 101B than to the seatingsection 101B.

In FIG. 5 , the maximum viewing angle of the spectator 500A when theplayer P is present in the area 102A is θA, and the maximum viewingangle of the spectator 500A when the player P is present in the area102B is θB (<θA). Thus, a change in viewing direction by the spectator500A resulting from movement of the player P in the X direction is moreeasily attained when the player P is located in the area 102A than whenthe player P is located in the area 102B. As a result, the detectionunit 301 can detect, with a high degree of sensitivity, the viewingdirection of the spectator 500A.

Similarly, a change in viewing direction by the spectator 500B resultingfrom movement of the player P in the X direction is more easily attainedwhen the player P is located in the area 102B than when the player P islocated in the area 102A. Thus, the detection unit 301 can detect, witha high degree of sensitivity, the viewing direction of the spectator500A. Also, a change in viewing direction by both the spectators 500Aand 500B is difficult to attain for Y direction movement by the playerP. In other words, the detection sensitivity for the viewing directionis worse than for the X direction.

Therefore, when the player P is in the area 102A, it is preferable thatthe selection unit 305 select a spectator camera AC-A, which capturesthe seating section 101A, and when the player P is in the area 102B, itis preferable that the selection unit 305 select a spectator cameraAC-B, which captures the seating section 101B.

FIG. 6 is a descriptive view showing a sensitivity example 2 regardingdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectator. Among theseating sections 101A to 101D surrounding the field 102, a spectator500C is located in the seating section 101C and a spectator 500D islocated in the seating section 101D. Also, the seating section 101C islocated opposite the seating section 101D.

Also, in the field 102, areas in which a player P moves in the Ydirection are areas 102C and 102D. The area 102C is an area closer tothe seating section 101C than to the seating section 101D, and the area102D is an area closer to the seating section 101D than to the seatingsection 101C.

In FIG. 6 , the maximum viewing angle of the spectator 500C when theplayer P is present in the area 102C is ° C., and the maximum viewingangle of the spectator 500C when the player P is present in the area102D is θD (<θA). Thus, a change in viewing direction by the spectator500C resulting from movement of the player P in the Y direction is moreeasily attained when the player P is located in the area 102C than whenthe player P is located in the area 102D. As a result, the detectionunit 301 can detect, with a high degree of sensitivity, the viewingdirection of the spectator 500C.

Similarly, a change in viewing direction by the spectator 500D resultingfrom movement of the player P in the Y direction is more easily attainedwhen the player P is located in the area 102D than when the player P islocated in the area 102C. Thus, the detection unit 301 can detect, witha high degree of sensitivity, the viewing direction of the spectator500C. Also, a change in viewing direction by both the spectators 500Cand 500D is difficult to attain for X direction movement by the playerP. In other words, the detection sensitivity for the viewing directionis worse than for the Y direction.

Therefore, when the player P is in the area 102C, it is preferable thatthe selection unit 305 select a spectator camera AC-C, which capturesthe seating section 101C, and when the player P is in the area 102D, itis preferable that the selection unit 305 select a spectator cameraAC-D, which captures the seating section 101D.

FIG. 7 is a descriptive view showing a sensitivity example 3 regardingdynamic changes in the viewing direction of the spectator. A sensitivityexample 3 is an example that combines the sensitivity examples 1 and 2.An overlapping area of the area 102A and the area 102C is an area 102AC,an overlapping area of the area 102A and the area 102D is an area 102AD,an overlapping area of the area 102B and the area 102C is an area 102BC,and an overlapping area of the area 102B and the area 102D is an area102BD.

When the player P is in the area 102AC, it is preferable that theselection unit 305 select the spectator camera AC-A, which captures theseating section 101A, or the spectator camera AC-C, which captures theseating section 101C, and when the player P is in the area 102AD, it ispreferable that the selection unit 305 select the spectator camera AC-A,which captures the seating section 101A, or the spectator camera AC-D,which captures the seating section 101D.

<Viewing Direction of Spectator Group>

FIG. 8 is a descriptive view showing a detection example of the viewingdirection of the spectator group 401. The detection unit 301 detects amotion vector my of each spectator, and a resultant motion vector MV ofthe respective motion vectors my is generated as the viewing directionof the spectator group 401. In this case, the detection unit 301 maydetect, as the viewing direction, the motion vector my according to thechange in position of the iris in the eye region of the spectator, ormay detect, as the viewing direction, the motion vector my according tothe change in position of a part of the face (such as the ears) of thespectator.

The detection unit 301 may detect the direction of each part of the headof the spectator to identify the focus area. In performing headdirection detection, the detection unit 301 uses an existing algorithmor the like to detect the head and the direction thereof from the imagedata. The detection unit 301 can detect the direction of the head from afacial image by learning the direction of the head (three degrees offreedom: yaw, roll, pitch) by deep learning.

FIG. 9 is a descriptive view showing a detection example of a motionvector my resulting from a change in position of the ears. If thespectator camera AC is an omnidirectional camera, then distortion occurson both edges of each frame of the image data, and thus, by expandingboth edges of the frame, the amount of change in position of the ears ofthe spectator is increased, which makes it easier for the detection unit301 to detect the motion vector my.

FIG. 10 is a descriptive view showing a detection example of the viewingdirection of a specific spectator. As described above, in FIG. 10 , thescore indicating the number of people in the spectator group 402 is lessthan the threshold or is relatively low, and the selection unit 305selects a specific spectator. In FIG. 10 , among the spectators A1 toA8, the spectator A1 is looking at their smartphone 1000, and thus, iseliminated as noise.

The viewing direction of the spectator A2 is towards an electronicbillboard, for example, and thus, the spectator A2 is eliminated asnoise. The position of the electronic billboard is attained from designinformation of the facility. Thus, the selection unit 305 selects, as aspecific spectator, any of the spectators A3 to A8. Among the spectatorsA3 to A8, if there is a spectator who matches the distinct personinformation 126 (spectator A8, for example), then the spectator A8 maybe selected as the specific spectator.

<Identification Example for Focus Area and Focus Subject>

FIG. 11 is a descriptive view showing an identification example 1 foridentification of the focus area and the focus subject by theidentification unit 302. A virtual plane VS is a plane parallel to theXZ plane. The spectator camera AC is located on the virtual plane VS.The identification unit 302 projects the resultant motion vector MV fromthe virtual plane VS towards the field 102, and identifies the focusarea R that is a region on the field 102. The identification unit 302identifies field cameras FC-A to FC-D that are imaging the focus area Raccording to the imaging directions PD-A to PD-D of the field camerasFC-A to FC-D.

Here, the identification unit 302 eliminates the field camera FC-B, theimaging direction PD-B of which is not towards the focus area R. In thecase of FIG. 11 , the identification unit 302 identifies the player Ppresent in the focus area R as the focus subject according to the imagedata from the field cameras FC-A, FC-C, and FC-D.

FIG. 12 is a descriptive view showing an identification example 2 foridentification of the focus area and the focus subject by theidentification unit 302. The identification example of FIG. 12 is anexample using an omnidirectional camera 1200 as the spectator camera AC.By using the omnidirectional camera 1200, the field 102 opposite, withrespect to the omnidirectional camera 1200, to the spectator group 401,which is the origin of the resultant motion vector MV, can be captured.Thus, the identification unit 302 can simultaneously identify the focusarea R on the field 102 and the focus subject (player P) indicated bythe resultant motion vector MV from the image data of theomnidirectional camera 1200.

FIG. 13 is a descriptive view showing a calculation example for the areaof the focus area. In FIG. 13 , the focus area R is rectangular. Whenthe spectator A views the focus area, where the height of the spectatorA from the field 102 is h, the distance to the focus area R when thespectator A is projected onto the field 102 is L, and the lengths of thetwo perpendicular sides of the focus area R are x and y, x is determinedby the following formula (1) and y is determined by the followingformula (2). θ± is determined by the following formula (3), and thedistance D from the spectator A to the focus area R is determined by thefollowing formula (4) (regarding the yaw angle θyaw and the pitch angleθpitch, see key of FIG. 13 ).

$\begin{matrix}{x = \sqrt{2\left( {h^{2} + L^{2}} \right)\left( {1 - {\cos 2\theta_{yaw}}} \right.}} & (1)\end{matrix}$ $\begin{matrix}{y = {h\left( {\sqrt{\frac{1}{\cos^{2}\theta_{+}} - 1} - \sqrt{\frac{1}{\cos^{2}\theta_{-}} - 1}} \right)}} & (2)\end{matrix}$ $\begin{matrix}{\theta_{\pm} = {{\cos^{- 1}\frac{h}{D}} \pm \theta_{pitch}}} & (3)\end{matrix}$ $\begin{matrix}{D = \sqrt{h^{2} + L_{2}}} & (4)\end{matrix}$

The area S of the focus area R is calculated by S=x·y. As a result, theidentification unit 302 can identify the distance D from the spectator Ato the focus area R and the area S of the focus area R, and can identifythe focus subject (such as the player P) in the focus area R accordingto the distance D and the area S. Here, the spectator A was used as thereference example, but in the case of the spectator group 401, thestarting position of the resultant motion vector MV may be the positionof the spectator A.

<Example of Control Process Steps>

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of control process steps bythe control apparatus 110. The control apparatus 110 acquires image datafrom the spectator cameras AC and image data from the field cameras FC.The control apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 to execute a firstspectator camera selection process to select a spectator camera AC fordetecting the viewing direction (step S1401). Next, the controlapparatus 110 uses the detection unit 301 to analyze image data from theselected spectator camera AC to detect the viewing direction (stepS1402).

Next, the control apparatus 110 uses the identification unit 302 toexecute an identification process for identifying the focus area and thefocus subject, using a vector of the detected viewing direction (stepS1403). Then, the control apparatus 110 determines a field camera FC,from among the plurality of field cameras FC, that is capturing thefocus subject (step S1404).

Then, the control apparatus 110 uses the transmission unit 304 totransmit the image data from the determined field camera FC via thebroadcast tower 210 or the internet 200 (step S1405). As a result, it ispossible to automatically switch the field camera FC to a focus subjectpresent in the direction viewed by the spectator group.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 1 of thefirst spectator camera selection process (step S1401), shown in FIG. 14, performed by the selection unit 305. The control apparatus 110 usesthe selection unit 305 to calculate the score indicating the number ofspectators captured by each spectator camera AC (step S1501). Next, thecontrol apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 to select thespectator camera AC on the basis of the calculated score as describedabove (step S1502).

For example, the control apparatus 110 selects a spectator camera ACwith a score greater than or equal to the threshold or a relatively highscore. In the selection performed in step S1502, if there is a spectatorcamera AC with a score greater than or equal to the threshold or arelatively high score, the control apparatus 110 may select thespectator camera AC in a probabilistic manner (with a 70% probability,for example).

Next, the control apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 to determinewhether a spectator camera AC with a score greater than or equal to thethreshold or a relatively high score has been selected (step S1503). Ifa spectator camera AC with a score greater than or equal to thethreshold or a relatively high score has been selected (step S1503:yes), then the process progresses to step S1402. In this case, thecontrol apparatus 110 uses the detection unit 301 to detect theresultant motion vector MV of the spectator group 401 as the viewingdirection.

On the other hand, if a spectator camera AC with a score greater than orequal to the threshold or a relatively high score has not been selected(step S1503: no), then the control apparatus 110 uses the selection unit305 to execute a second spectator camera selection process (step S1504)and the process progresses to step S1402. In the second spectator cameraselection process (step S1504), a specific spectator A8 among thespectator group 402 is selected. In this case, the control apparatus 110uses the detection unit 301 to detect the motion vector my of thespecific spectator A8 as the viewing direction.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 2 of thefirst spectator camera selection process (step S1401), shown in FIG. 14, performed by the selection unit 305. In FIG. 16 , processes that arethe same as those in FIG. 15 are assigned the same step number andexplanations thereof are omitted. The control apparatus 110 uses theidentification unit 302 to identify the focus subject identifiedpreviously by the identification unit 302 and the focus area thereof,and identifies the spectator camera AC as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7according to the positional relationship between the identified focusarea and each spectator camera AC (step S1602).

A plurality of spectator cameras AC may be identified in step S1602. If,for example, the player P who is the focus subject is in the area 102AC,the spectator cameras AC-A and AC-C, which are close to the area 102AC,are identified. Then, as shown in FIG. 15 , steps S1501 to S1504 areexecuted for the spectator cameras AC identified in step S1602. As aresult, the spectator cameras AC closest to the position of the focussubject are more likely to be selected, which improves the detectionsensitivity for the viewing direction.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 1 of thesecond spectator camera selection process (step S1504) shown in FIG. 15. The control apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 to eliminatenoise from the image data from each spectator camera AC (step S1701).Next, the control apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 to determinewhether image data of a distinct person is present in the image datafrom each spectator camera AC from which noise was eliminated (stepS1702).

If there is a spectator camera AC that has acquired image data in whichimage data of a distinct person is present (step S1702: yes), then thecontrol apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 to select thespectator camera AC (step S1703) and progresses to step S1402. On theother hand, if there is no spectator camera AC that has acquired imagedata in which image data of a distinct person is present (step S1702:no), then the control apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 toselect the spectator camera AC with the highest score (step S1704) andthe process progresses to step S1704.

FIG. 18 is a descriptive view showing a detailed processing example 2 ofthe second spectator camera selection process (step S1504) shown in FIG.15 . Specifically, for example, the control apparatus 110 uses theselection unit 305 to select, as a specific spectator, a spectator A11who is viewing the same scene as that being viewed by a viewer TA of thetelevision 103.

The scene viewed by a viewer TA of the television 103 is the player P(focus subject) captured by the field camera FC in the imaging directionPD thereof. The control apparatus 110 identifies the seating section 101in the opposite direction to the imaging direction PD of the fieldcamera FC that is currently broadcasting, and selects the spectatorcamera AC in which the identified seating section 101 appears. If,according to the spectator group 402 (including spectators A11 and A12)captured by the selected spectator camera AC, the motion vector my isthe same as the imaging direction PD or at an angle within an allowablerange thereof, then the spectator A11 is selected as the specificspectator.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing a detailed processing example 2 of thesecond spectator camera selection process (step S1504) shown in FIG. 15. The control apparatus 110 uses the selection unit 305 to identify theimaging direction of the field camera FC that is capturing the currentimage data (step S1901), identifies the seating section 101 in theopposite direction to the identified imaging direction (step S1902), andselects the spectator camera AC in which the identified seating section101 can be captured (step S1903). As a result, it is possible to select,as the specific spectator, the spectator A11 who is viewing the samescene as that being viewed by a viewer TA of the television 103, and itis possible improve the estimation accuracy for the identifiedspectator.

FIG. 20 is a flow chart showing an example of detailed process steps ofthe identification process (step S1403) shown in FIG. 14 . The controlapparatus 110 uses the identification unit 302 to identify the focusarea on the field 102 according to the viewing direction attained instep S1402 as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 (step S2001). Next, the controlapparatus 110 uses the identification unit 302 to identify the focussubject (such as the player P) in the focus area identified in stepS2001, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 (step S2002).

In the example of FIG. 11 , the control apparatus 110 uses the imagedata from the field camera FC to identify the focus subject (such as theplayer P) in the focus area identified in step S2001. As a result, it ispossible to identify the focus subject at the end of the viewingdirection with a high degree of accuracy. Also, in the example of FIG.12 , the control apparatus 110 uses the image data from theomnidirectional camera to identify the focus subject (such as the playerP) in the focus area identified in step S2001.

As a result, it is possible to simultaneously identify the focus areaand the focus subject (player P) from the image data from oneomnidirectional camera, and further improve identification accuracy.Additionally, it is also possible to improve processing speed anddetection frequency. Thus, the control apparatus 110 may identify thefocus area using the image data of one camera or identify a focussubject in the focus area R.

(1) As described above, the control apparatus 110 according to thepresent embodiment can access the database 120, which stores designinformation pertaining to the facility (such as the stadium 100), aplurality of first cameras (such as the spectator camera group ACs) thatimage a first subject in a first area (such as the seating section 101)in the facility, and a plurality of second cameras (such as the fieldcamera group FCs) that image a second subject in a second area (such asthe field 102) in the facility.

The control apparatus 110 has the detection unit 301, the identificationunit 302, the determination unit 303, and the transmission unit 304. Thedetection unit 301 detects the viewing direction of the spectator group401 in the first subject on the basis of image data of the first subjectcaptured by any one of the plurality of first cameras.

The identification unit 302 identifies the focus area R in the secondarea by the spectator group 401 on the basis of the viewing direction ofthe spectator group 401 detected by the detection unit 301, andidentifies the focus subject of the spectator group present in the focusarea R on the basis of the image data of the second subject captured byeach of the plurality of second cameras. The determination unit 303determines a specific second camera to be the transmission source ofimage data from among the plurality of second cameras on the basis ofthe focus subject identified by the identification unit 302. Thetransmission unit 304 transmits image data from a specific second cameradetermined by the determination unit 303.

As a result, image data from the determined second camera (field cameraFC) is broadcasted or distributed to the television 103 or the personalcomputer 104. Thus, switching of the second cameras (field cameras FC)can be automated.

(2) Also, the control apparatus 110 of (1) has a selection unit 305 thatselects a specific first camera from among the plurality of firstcameras on the basis of a score indicating the number of people in thespectator group 401 in the first subject captured by each of theplurality of first cameras.

As a result, the detection unit 301 detects the viewing direction of thespecific spectator group 401 in the specific first subject on the basisof the image data of the specific first subject captured by the specificfirst camera, and the identification unit 302 identifies the focus areaR of the specific spectator group 401 on the basis of the viewingdirection of the specific spectator group 401 detected by the detectionunit 301. Thus, switching of the second cameras (field cameras FC) canbe automated according to the number of spectators.

(3) Also, in the control apparatus 110 of (2), the selection unit 305may select a specific first camera on the basis of the positionalrelationship between the spectator group 401 and the focus area R. As aresult, it is possible to take into consideration the detectionsensitivity of the viewing direction and identify the specific firstcamera (field camera FC).

(4) Alternatively, in the control apparatus 110 of (2), the selectionunit 305 may select, as the specific first camera, a first camera forwhich the score is greater than or equal to the image data threshold. Asa result, it is possible to detect the viewing direction of thespectator group 401 using the image data from the first camera that hasbeen evaluated as covering a large absolute number of spectators. Thus,it is possible to automatically switch to a second camera that capturesa focus area or a focus subject viewed by a large number of spectators,and as a result, viewers of the broadcast can see the focus area R andthe focus subject viewed by many spectators.

(5) Alternatively, in the control apparatus 110 of (2), the selectionunit 305 may select, as the specific first camera, a first camera havinga relatively high score among the plurality of first cameras. As aresult, it is possible to detect the viewing direction of the spectatorgroup 401 using the image data from the first camera that has beenevaluated as covering a relatively large number of spectators. Thus, itis possible to automatically switch to a second camera that captures afocus area or a focus subject viewed by a large number of spectators,and as a result, viewers of the broadcast can see the focus area R andthe focus subject viewed by many spectators.

(6) Alternatively, in the control apparatus 110 of (2), the selectionunit 305 may select, as the specific first camera, a first camera forwhich the score is less than the image data threshold. As a result, itis possible to detect the viewing direction of the spectator group 402using the image data from the first camera that has been evaluated ascovering a small absolute number of spectators. Thus, it is possible toautomatically switch to a second camera that captures a focus area or afocus subject viewed by a small number of spectators, and as a result,viewers of the broadcast can see the focus area R and the focus subjectviewed by a small number of spectators. In other words, it is possibleto automatically switch to image data of a focus area R or a focussubject that was not viewed by many spectators.

(7) Alternatively, in the control apparatus 110 of (2), the selectionunit 305 may select, as the specific first camera, a first camera havinga relatively low score among the plurality of first cameras. As aresult, it is possible to detect the viewing direction of the spectatorgroup 402 using the image data from the first camera that has beenevaluated as covering a relatively small number of spectators. Thus, itis possible to automatically switch to a second camera that captures afocus area or a focus subject viewed by a small number of spectators,and as a result, viewers of the broadcast can see the focus area R andthe focus subject viewed by a small number of spectators. In otherwords, it is possible to automatically switch to image data of a focusarea R or a focus subject that was not viewed by many spectators.

(8) Also, in the control apparatus 110 of (6) or (7), the detection unit301 may detect the viewing direction of a specific spectator in thespecific spectator group 402 in the specific first subject on the basisof the image data of the specific first subject captured by the specificfirst camera. In this manner, the identification unit 302 identifies thefocus area R of the specific spectator A8 on the basis of the viewingdirection of the specific spectator A8 detected by the detection unit301.

As a result, if the number of spectators is evaluated to be small in anabsolute or relative sense, the viewer can see the focus area R or thefocus subject viewed by a specific spectator. Even if the number ofspectators is small, there is a high probability that such spectatorsare dedicated fans, and thus, by switching the second camera to thefocus area R and the focus subject viewed by the viewers according tothe perspective of such spectators, it is possible to provide image datato the viewer from the perspective of such expert spectators.

(9) In the control apparatus 110 of (8), the detection unit 301 mayselect a specific spectator A8 from among the spectators A3 to A8, inthe specific spectator group 402, that are remaining after excluding thespectators A1 and A2 who are engaging in inattentive behavior, on thebasis of the image data of the specific first subject, and detect theviewing direction of the specific spectator A8. As a result, noise thatis irrelevant to attentive viewing is eliminated, which improves theaccuracy of detecting the viewing direction.

(10) Also, in the control apparatus 110 of (8), the database 120 storesimage data (distinct person information 126) pertaining to a distinctperson, and the detection unit 301 may detect the distinct person as aspecific spectator from among the specific spectator group 402 on thebasis of the image data of the specific first subject, and detect theviewing direction of the specific spectator A8.

As a result, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy for thespecific spectator by matching the spectator with a distinct person.Thus, by switching the second camera to the focus area R and the focussubject viewed by the viewers according to the perspective of suchspectators, it is possible to provide image data to the viewer from theperspective of such expert spectators.

(11) Also, in the control apparatus 110 of (6) or (7), the detectionunit 301 may detect the viewing direction of a specific spectator A11 onthe basis of the imaging direction of the specific second cameradetermined by the determination unit 303 and the viewing direction ofeach individual among the specific spectator group 401. As a result, itis possible to identify spectators viewing the same focus area R andfocus subject as the image data viewed by the viewer of the broadcast,and thus, it is possible to switch scenes according to the perspectiveof the spectator to a greater degree.

(12) In the control apparatus 110 of (1), the first cameras are camerasthat can image a first area (seating section 101) and a second area(field 102) (omnidirectional cameras 1200, for example), the detectionunit 301 may detect the viewing direction of the spectator group 401 onthe basis of the image data including the first subject and the secondsubject captured by any of the first cameras, and the identificationunit 302 may identify the focus area R viewed by the spectator group 401in the second area and the spectator group 401 present in the focus areaR on the basis of the viewing direction of the spectator group 401detected by the detection unit 301.

As a result, the focus area R and the focus subject are identified fromthe image data of the first cameras, and thus, the image data from thesecond cameras is not used here. Thus, it is possible to improve theaccuracy of identification of the focus area R and the focus subject.Also, the need to identify the focus subject using the second camera iseliminated, and processing can be sped up.

(13) Also, in the control apparatus 110 of (1), the determination unit303 may determine a specific second camera on the basis of thepositional relationship between the spectator group 401 and the focusarea R. As a result, it is possible to automatically switch betweensecond cameras of various imaging directions while taking intoconsideration the positional relationship between the spectator group401 and the focus area R.

If, for example, the positional relationship indicates that thespectator group 401 is close to the focus area R, then it is possible todistribute image data under the environment in which the spectator group401 is viewing the focus area R, and viewers of the broadcast can viewthe same focus subject from a perspective close to that of the spectatorgroup 401. Also, if the positional relationship indicates that thespectator group 401 is far from the focus area R, then it is possible todistribute image data from a different angle than the direction fromwhich the spectator group 401 is viewing the focus area R, and viewersof the broadcast can view the same focus subject from a perspectivediffering from that of the spectator group 401.

(14) Also, in the control apparatus 110 of (1), the determination unit303 may determine a specific second camera on the basis of therecognition results of the focus subject. As a result, by determining asecond camera having an imaging direction that allows the face of theplayer P who is the focus subject to be seen instead of basing thedetermination on the spectator group 401, for example, the viewer of thebroadcast can see the player P from the front in a scene after switchingbetween second cameras.

(15) Also, in the control apparatus 110 of (1), the transmission unit304 may transmit image data captured by a specific second camera orinformation indicating where the image data is stored to thecommunication terminal 300 of at least one spectator A in the spectatorgroup 401. As a result, the scene after switching between the secondcameras is sometimes a decisive moment, and thus, it is believed thatduring such scenes, the spectator group 401 would be focused on viewingthe scene instead of photographing the scene. Thus, by transmittingstill image data of the scene after switching to the spectator group 401to the communication terminal 300 of the spectator group 401, it ispossible to provide the decisive still image data that could not bephotographed by the spectator group 401 to the spectator group 401.

(16) Also, the control system 1 according to the present embodiment hasthe database 120, which stores design information pertaining to thefacility (such as the stadium 100), a plurality of first cameras (suchas the spectator camera group ACs) that image a first subject in a firstarea (such as the seating section 101) in the facility, a plurality ofsecond cameras (such as the field camera group FCs) that image a secondsubject in a second area (such as the field 102) in the facility, andthe control apparatus 110, which can access the aforementioned elements.

The control apparatus 110 has the detection unit 301, the identificationunit 302, the determination unit 303, and the transmission unit 304. Thedetection unit 301 detects the viewing direction of the spectator group401 in the first subject on the basis of image data of the first subjectcaptured by any one of the plurality of first cameras.

The identification unit 302 identifies the focus area R in the secondarea by the spectator group 401 on the basis of the viewing direction ofthe spectator group 401 detected by the detection unit 301, andidentifies the focus subject of the spectator group present in the focusarea R on the basis of the image data of the second subject captured byeach of the plurality of second cameras. The determination unit 303determines a specific second camera to be the transmission source ofimage data from among the plurality of second cameras on the basis ofthe focus subject identified by the identification unit 302. Thetransmission unit 304 transmits image data from a specific second cameradetermined by the determination unit 303.

As a result, image data from the determined second camera (field cameraFC) is broadcasted or distributed to the television 103 or the personalcomputer 104. Thus, switching of the second cameras (field cameras FC)can be automated.

(17) Also, the control program according to the present embodiment isexecuted by the processor 201, which can access the database 120, whichstores design information pertaining to the facility (such as thestadium 100), a plurality of first cameras (such as the spectator cameragroup ACs) that image a first subject in a first area (such as theseating section 101) in the facility, and a plurality of second cameras(such as the field camera group FCs) that image a second subject in asecond area (such as the field 102) in the facility.

The control program causes the processor 201 to execute the detectionprocess, the identification process, the determination process, and thetransmission process. During the detection process, the control programcauses the processor 201 to detect the viewing direction of thespectator group 401 in the first subject on the basis of image data ofthe first subject captured by any one of the plurality of first cameras.

During the identification process, the control program causes theprocessor 201 to identify the focus area R in the second area that isfocused on by the spectator group 401 on the basis of the viewingdirection of the spectator group 401 detected by the detection process,and identify the focus subject of the spectator group present in thefocus area R on the basis of the image data of the second subjectcaptured by each of the plurality of second cameras.

During the determination process, the control program causes theprocessor 201 to determine a specific second camera to be thetransmission source of image data from among the plurality of secondcameras on the basis of the focus subject identified by theidentification process. During the transmission process, the controlprogram causes the processor 201 to transmit image data from thespecific second camera determined by the determination process.

As a result, image data from the determined second camera (field cameraFC) is broadcasted or distributed to the television 103 or the personalcomputer 104. Thus, switching of the second cameras (field cameras FC)can be automated with software.

Also, a limiting condition may be set such that the second camera is notswitched until a predetermined period of time has elapsed since thesecond camera was previously switched. Also, a configuration may beadopted in which the relationship between the image data prior toswitching and the second camera after the switch is learned and storedin the database 120, and when switching between the second cameras, thecontrol apparatus 110 refers to the learned content to determine thesecond camera. As a result, it is possible to improve the determinationaccuracy for the second camera.

In the above embodiment, the control apparatus 110 may use imaging datafrom a past game in the same sport (information pertaining to techniquesemployed by directors, for example). Specifically, by engaging inmachine learning of the imaging data, the control apparatus 110 can, forexample, learn rules pertaining to optimal cut positions, and improvethe detection accuracy of the viewing direction.

Also, the field cameras FC may have an automatic shutter function.Specifically, this function can be used even when the subject at the endof the viewing direction of the spectator group is still, for example.

FIG. 21 is a descriptive view of the automatic shutter function of thefield cameras FC. The control apparatus 110 refers to the image datafrom the field camera FC and detects the viewing direction of the playerP who is the subject thereof, for example. If the viewing direction ofthe player P switches from the viewing direction d1 to the viewingdirection d2 towards the field camera, the field camera FC engages theshutter and captures still image data 2100 with the player P as theprimary subject. As a result, still image data according to a cameraperspective by the player P can be automatically attained.

Also, the present embodiment can be applied to cases in which thesubject at the end of the viewing direction by the spectator group is astill object that does not move such as products in a row.

FIG. 22 is a descriptive view showing an example of application tomarketing. A crowd 2201 focuses on a shelf of products, and the controlapparatus 110 images the crowd 2201 using the spectator camera AC,detects a visual line vector indicating the viewing direction of eachperson in the crowd 2201 from the imaging data, and generates aresultant visual line vector.

The control apparatus 110 identifies a product indicated by theresultant visual line vector among a group of products on a shelf 2200(hereinafter, “identified product”), and manages various statisticalinformation such as the number of a specific product sold, the number ofproducts sold when indicated by the resultant visual line vector, thenumber of products sold when not indicated by the resultant visual linevector, and the number of cases in which a product indicated by theresultant visual line vector has not been selected. This is useful fordetecting products that garner a high degree of attention and productsthat garner a low degree of attention.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the controlapparatus 110 switches between the plurality of the second cameras(field cameras FC), but the control apparatus 110 may instead identify afocus area R using image data of one or more first cameras (spectatorcameras AC) or identify a focus subject in the focus area R, and controlone second camera (field camera FC). The control unit that controls thesecond camera (field camera FC) performs control such that the secondcamera (field camera FC) faces the direction of the identified focusarea R or the direction of the focus subject in the identified focusarea R.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the controlapparatus 110 switches between the plurality of field cameras FC, butthe control apparatus 110 may instead identify a focus area R usingimage data of one or more spectator cameras AC or identify a focussubject in the focus area R, and process an image generated by beingcaptured by one field camera FC. The control apparatus 110 identifies aregion of a partial image including the identified focus area R or afocus subject in the identified focus area R from the image generated bybeing captured by the one field camera FC, for example. The controlapparatus 110 may then transmit the identified partial image bybroadcasting (transmission).

Also, the control apparatus 110 may process an image of a subject inwhich a first area where spectators are present and a second area wherethe focus subject is present are captured by one camera. The controlapparatus 110 identifies a region of a partial image including theidentified focus area by identifying the focus area R or a focus subjectin the focus area R from the image generated by being captured by theone camera, for example. The control apparatus 110 may then transmit theidentified partial image by broadcasting (transmission).

What is claimed is:
 1. A control apparatus configured to be accessible aplurality of first cameras that capture a first subject of a first areain a facility, and a plurality of second cameras that capture a secondsubject of a second area in the facility, the control apparatuscomprising: a detection unit configured to detect a viewing direction ofa spectator group in the first subject on the basis of image data of thefirst subject captured by any one of the plurality of first cameras; anidentification unit configured to identify a focus area in the secondarea that is focused on by the spectator group on the basis of theviewing direction of the spectator group detected by the detection unit,and identify a focus subject, focused on by the spectator group, that ispresent in the focus area on the basis of image data of the secondsubject captured by each of the plurality of second cameras; adetermination unit configured to determine a specific second camera tobe a transmission source of image data from among the plurality ofsecond cameras on the basis of the focus subject identified by theidentification unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmitimage data from the specific second camera determined by thedetermination unit.